Teen Titans- Fear and Loathing in Jump City
by Jaq O Diamonds
Summary: Hey, there! The name's Zuuland'r, but you can call me Warfire! I left Tamaran five years ago, on a spiritual trip, and somehow got captured by a group of Innsmouth looking things, and somehow i ended up with my second-oldest sister on earth. Now I'm part of these guys called the Teen Titans, and- What? I'm not supposed to talk to the what now? I'm breaking what wall? Bye guys!"
1. Chapter 1

Teen Titans- Fear and Loathing in Jump City

By

Gabriel Kayne

 **DISCLAIMER! I Own Nothing Except OCs (unless someone already thought them up without me knowing)!**

 ** _Prologue….. GO!_**

Our story begins outside of a spaceship floating through the stars above Earth. As the view zooms into the inside of the vessel, loud screams of rage and banging metal are heard, while two humanoid beings holding spear-like weapons are walking towards it, uneasy. A door in front of them opens, and two more are seen greeting the duo.

 _"_ _Do you think the door will hold?"_ one of them asks anxiously in his native language.

 _"_ _It must."_ A second one says.

 _"_ _The alien will be delivered on schedule. Lord Tro-Garr has commanded it."_ A third states.

 _"_ _And if this thing gets loose?"_ a fourth asks anxiously.

 _"_ _Then Zorg help us all."_ The second one says, before the noise stops and the glass in the metal door cracks a bit. Suddenly, two glowing green eyes are seen in the darkness of the cell, and the four fish-like beings back away nervously. Immediately afterwards, the door burst forwards, and a young orange-skinned woman in strange garb and shackles steps out of the shadows, yelling in a foreign language furiously, and rushes towards the group.

Meanwhile, in another part of the ship, a young man in tattered and torn clothing which shows off his wiry frame is kneeling on the ground, his arms stretched to the sides due to chains attached to walls in the room, and a collar around his neck with a chain going to the floor, his white hair hiding his face. Another fish-like alien is standing in front of him, a smirk on his face and a red-hot piece of metal in his hand.

 _"_ _Zuuland'r, you do realize that you will not be able to keep this up, right? You will eventually break, and when that happens, I WILL have what I want. I have all the time in the…"_ the alien starts, when suddenly an alarm sounds, and explosions are heard throughout the ship.

 _"_ _Actually, it seems as though your time is up. Have a nice day, guppy."_ The prisoner replies sarcastically, suddenly breaking his chains off of the walls and ripping off his collar. He then punches the creature through the hull of the ship, and follows him through the opening, waving goodbye to the security cameras.

 _'_ _Hmm, I wonder where Koriand'r got off to. Maybe that planet? Might as well go check it out.'_ He thinks to himself, flying through space, finally landing in an alleyway behind a young cloaked figure. The young figure immediately is on guard, and Zuuland'r steps out of the shadows, his hands raised up in defense. As he walks forward, his face becomes more visible. He has an average facial structure, for his people, but the thing that truly sets him apart from the rest of his race, is his white eyes, lacking any iris or pupils, giving him a look of blindness. _'Maybe I should try to communicate with the locals. I just hope I don't have to learn a new language. It's always so awkward, being unable to explain beforehand.'_

"Who are you? And why do I sense some uneasiness coming from-." She asks, causing him to become even more uncomfortable. He then gives her as quick a kiss as possible.

"There. I'm sorry. You have no idea how awkward this gets. Long story short, my people can instantly learn any language by using lip-to-lip contact. Anyways, my name is Zuuland'r. In your language it roughly translates to Warfire. Have you seen a young woman, about my age? Shackles on her arms? Short tempered?" he says, just before he hears a loud explosion from a little ways away. "Never mind. I believe that's her. Sorry for that exchange of lip contact, by the way. I should probably go calm her down. She's a pretty bubbly girl, most of the time. But getting imprisoned for no reason will tend to leave you on edge, usually. Bye, ummm…" he says, not knowing what to call the girl.

"Raven. And you're lucky I don't use emotions, or I would be extremely pissed."

"Thank you. Bye, friend Raven." He says, smiling amicably. He then flies towards the noise, where three young men are fighting the young woman in the middle of a street.

 _"_ _Zuuland'r, what are you doing here? I thought you were gone! You said you didn't want to come back home ever again!"_ The girl says upon seeing him.

 _"_ _Koriand'r, calm down. I will talk to these guys and try to get those things off of you. Once this is over with, I will explain everything, alright? Just wait, please."_ He says to her, causing her to nod in compliance and slump down.

"Who are you? What do you two want?" the second-shortest of the three demands upon his arrival.

"Nothing much, my friend. My name is Zuuland'r, and that is my sister, Koriand'r. May I ask your names?" he says, causing the three to lower their guard slightly, the green one most of all.

"Robin." The most colorful one says, suspicious of his intentions.

"Former Doom Patrol cadet Beast Boy, reporting for duty, sir." The shortest says.

"Cyborg. What's her problem?" the tall one asks.

"Wait for it…." He answers, waiting for something to happen. "Nothing? Okay. Despite what these guys may say, my sister isn't a prisoner; she's considered a trophy, a prize of battle. Me, on the other hand, I'm considered a threat to the Gordanian Empire, so they captured me in order to make a show of my public execution. At least, they think they captured me. I just was asleep one day and they shot me with a temporary paralyzing agent, so I woke up after a while and waited to see what would happen."

"How do we know you're telling the truth?"  
"You don't. Truth is all a matter of perspective. You can decide whether to believe me or not, but unfortunately, we don't have enough time to debate philosophy. The Gordanians are probably going to send a message saying that they will leave you alone unless you interfere with them capturing us, so, unless you have anything useful to say, I suggest you help me get these shackles off of my sister. Agreed?"

"Fine. But I'm watching you." Robin replies.

"Good. Wise choice. I would have been more surprised if you trusted us immediately after I spoke to you." He responds, a smile on his lips. He then goes to his sister and breaks off the caps of the cuffs that covers her hands. Robin immediately takes out his lockpick and releases her hands from the cuffs.

"There, now will you mphf-!" Robin starts to speak, before Starfire locks lips with him.

"Well, now that that's over, I'm going to get some food. Is there anything good to eat here?" Warfire says, acting as though he were talking about the weather.

"Warfire, we need to leave. As for you, unless you wish to be destroyed, you will stay away from us." She says, flying away.

"Ok, well, I will see you all later. Bye!" Warfire says with a wave, following her.

"Well, they certainly know how to leave an impression." Cyborg says, snapping Robin out of his shock. Immediately afterwards, a giant hologram of one of the Gordanians appears above an island, stating the aforementioned information, as well as a thinly veiled threat.

"Soooo, does anyone want to go find those two?" Raven asks, having appeared to the group in the confusion.

"Who are- never mind. Let's go, we need to see if there is anything they haven't told us." Robin says, to which the others nod in agreement.

"So, anybody know where they could be?" Beast Boy asks the others.

"Well, they seem to be near. I can sense them, a little bit." Raven answers.

"I have scanners built into my arm, so we could follow that." Cyborg offers.

"Oooh! I know, I could track their scents!" Beast Boy exclaims, transforming into a green bloodhound and instantly changing back. "Got it. They're this way."

"Good. We need to find them as soon as possible." Robin says, following Beast Boy, who leads the group to a video store, which has a hole blasted into the side of the building. Inside of the place, noises like ravenous feeding can be heard.

"Sister, we have company. Possible allies, if we don't attack. And by we, I mean you." Warfire says, his back turned to the hole.

"I do not care, for I must eat this food."

"Your boyfriend is here."

"What is this 'boyfriend' you speak of?" She asks, confused.

"The colorful boy you kissed."

"I still do not understand."

"Never mind. Anyways, what do you four want?" Warfire asks the group.

"Well, we want to know why your sister destroyed half a city block, for starters." Cyborg says.

"Oh, that? Would you like to answer, or should I, sister?"

"I was trying to get the cuffs off of my hands."

"Well, that's true, but I think they want to know why you had to cause a lot of damage trying to do so."

"They wouldn't come off." She says matter-of-factly.

"I see. And why did you kiss me?"

"I do not understand. What is this 'kiss' of which you speak?"

"He means the language absorption thing."

"Oh. Our people have the ability to instantly learn foreign languages through the exchange of lip contact."

"I see. Now, next question-!" Robin starts to say before an energy blast hits the ground between the two groups.

"Seems as though our friends have found us. Shall we commence with the fight?" Warfire asks sarcastically, noticing the Gordanians surrounding them.

"Let's do so."

"Ok. CUE THE MUSIC!" Warfire shouts, to which, for some reason, 'Black Betty' plays out of nowhere. He then fires off a blast of red energy from his right hand at a group of the fishmen, blowing them away while shouting "Secret Fisting Technique: A Thousand Years Of Death!" . Starfire and the rest take on a large company of the Gordanians, beating several of them.

"Come on! Don't make me put in some wasted effort, fishies! Fight me!" Warfire laughs, chasing another group around that is trying to flee from him.

"Is he alright?" Raven asks Starfire, to which she assures her he is.

"He's just a little up cooped. He has not had much of the fun since being captured. He must be having the blast, as I believe you humans say."

"Watch out! There's a pole there, guys! Didn't Innsmouth teach you anything?" Warfire shouts in the distance, before a loud clang can be heard. "What did I tell you? Always eat your sandwich before crossing the fjord! This is what happens when you don't listen!" he shouts, causing everyone else to sweatdrop.

"On the thought which is second, perhaps we should go after him. He might cause more of the mayhem than the Gordanians ever could." She says, before they hear a loud screeching crash and a voice shouting "Wheeeeee! That was fun! I wanna go again!" followed by a car horn and a cat yowling.

"Oh, dear. I believe he may have eaten the forbidden dish." Starfire says, causing everyone to turn to her.

"Oh my god, help us!" a distant Gordanian voice screams.

"What food is that?" Robin asks, worried.

"I believe it is called 'Tofu' in your language. Every time he eats certain foods, there are… strange side effects. Last time he ate Tofu, he turned into lightning and started hitting random passersby with a musical instrument, shouting 'El Kabong!'. It was… troublesome, to say the least."

"Dude, why doesn't he like tofu?!" Beast Boy asks, transforming into a kangaroo and kicking some of the Murlocks- I mean, Gordanians away.

"Actually, he loves it. That is why it is forbidden for him to eat it. If he hated it, there would be no need to forbid it."

"Uh, guys? The sounds are getting closer!" Cyborg shouts, getting everyone's attention.

"Get down, now!" Star shouts, running to some cover, the others following.

"El Kabong! Fear the wrath of the Acoustic Guitar of Justice!" Warfire shouts, a loud crash occurring, followed by thirty Gordanians flying through the air and falling down a mile away. "Welp, that was fun. Hi, I'm the card czar, and I have no idea what I'm doing. Now, a word from our sponsors."

"What is he doing?" Raven asks, to which a voice is heard screaming.

"Do you have a problem with rusty pipes? Lime buildup? Calcium? Well there's no need to worry anymore! Hi, Billy Mays- I mean, Warfire here, and I have the perfect deal for you!"

"What is he talking about?" A random Gordanian asks nervously.

"He is coming down from the side effects of the tofu. Just wait for him to glow, and do not make any sudden movements." Starfire says anxiously awaiting the backlash.

"I'm coming dooooooown!" he shouts, his voice reminiscent of a certain black genie psychopath, before glowing blue with lightning coming out of him. All of a sudden, all is silent, before an explosion occurs and the light returns to his body. "What? Did I miss something?" He asks, appearing behind the group of teens.

"It's over. Good. Now we must get rid of the Gordanians." Starfire says, a sigh of relief escaping her lips.

"Uh, Starfire? They're gone." Raven says, a cloud of dust where the big-mouth Billy bass- I mean, Gordanians used to be.

"Awww, I wanted to exchange recipes with them! Rude little trout." Warfire pouts childishly.

"Is he gonna be ok? Cuz I don't feel like seeing that happen again." Cyborg says.

"Well, as long as we don't allow him near the foods that give him adverse effects, we should be fine."

"I see. Well, hopefully we won't be seeing anymore of those-!" Robin starts to say, before Tro-Garr appears via hologram and says he will destroy the entire city.

"Maybe you should stop talking, friend Robin."

"Yes, that would be acceptable. Who's up for taking out their particle cannon via chaotic violence and explosions?" Warfire asks.

"Well, I suppose I could team up again. Just this once." Robin says with a smirk, getting a nod from the others minus Warfire and Raven.

"I'm not the hero type. If you knew what I was…" she starts to say, before Robin interrupts.

"I know enough to say that you can be a great asset to us."

"Yeah, what Peter Pan said! By the way, has anyone seen my pants?" Warfire asks, drawing attention to him.

"Uh, Warfire, why are you not wearing any pants anymore?" Beast Boy asks, looking away from him, as are the others.

"No idea. Anybody got any spares?" He asks, to which a random storekeeper brings out some denim ones. "Thank you, old guy! Once I get some earth money, I will treat you to dinner!" he says, beaming in joy.

"No problem, young man. Just stop those guys and we'll be even." The man says.

"Deal! Now, let's kick their butts back to the black lagoon! Excelsior!"

"How does he know all these references? He's never been to earth, has he?" Beast Boy asks.

"He has developed his ability to translate languages to the point that he can absorb the cultural identity of whoever he has lip-based contact with. Even memories are at his disposal." Starfire says, causing Raven to pale drastically. Warfire notices, and shrugs, as if saying "Who cares what you will be? Doesn't matter to me."

"Thank you, Warfire."

"No worries. Your secret is not mine to tell. So until you want to tell the others, I will be quiet. Anyways, let's filet some fish!" Warfire shouts, getting some nods of agreement.

"Agreed."

Two minutes later…

"I got a better one. How about, 'let's make some sushi'?"

"Enough with the puns, Warfire. We have to focus." Robin says, massaging his forehead from the headache Warfire's jokes gave him.

"Whew, that dark energy gives me the creeps- I mean, it's cool." Beast Boy says before noticing Raven and giving her a thumbs up, the group having been transported aboard the ship.

"It's cool? It was ticklish! I hate being tickled! Starfire knows, right, sis?" Warfire says.

"Yes, he hates the tickling. He once destroyed half of our home when mother tried to tickle him as a young boy."

"I see. I will keep that in mind." Raven says while the others walk away, a little depressed at Beast Boy's earlier comment.

"Stop sulking. He doesn't know what he is talking about, friend Raven. Wanna know a secret? I may not look it, but I am quite the social pariah back on Tamaran. Even more so than you were on Azerath. Apart from my sisters and parents, and a few of the servants, I was treated as a leper. And everyone but Blackfire, Starfire and the nurse-maid feared me. All because I am unstable, which is the most dangerous thing for a Tamaranian to be. Almost all who have this lack of what you call humanity have destroyed everything they came across. Long story short, I left my world due to a self-imposed Exile, to protect those who mattered to me. Which helped me learn some control, by the way. I was captured because I was asleep after a long trial to gain stability, and those fishmen paid dearly for it, and many more will before the day is out. Anyways, my point is that we all have things that keep us awake at night. All you need to do to live with it, is to remember the things that make it worthwhile to fight. Come on, the others are waiting." He finishes, a noticeable lack of mirth visible on his face.

 _"_ _Who are you, Warfire?"_ Raven thinks to herself, following him to the others.

A Few Moments Later, Throne room of The Gordanian Battle Cruiser…

"Lord Tro-Garr, the cannon is ready to fire!"

"Good, commence the firing sequence. These Earthlings will learn the folly of defying my wishes." A large Gordanian says, sitting on a throne in the center of the room.

Suddenly, an explosion occurs, blasting out the door to the area.

"I call dibs on the large murlock in the middle. Anybody have any questions?" Warfire asks, stepping out of the smoke, followed by the others.

"He's all yours. Be careful, Warfire." Robin says.

"You should be more worried for his sake. He will learn exactly why I am named Warfire." He replies seriously for the first time since arriving on Earth, anger etched into his face, the room going cold with tension. "Tro-Garr! You have committed myriad crimes against my people! However, I am only concerned with three of them! One!" he shouts, warping to the large alien in a flash of white energy.

"You have attacked my home world and waged war on its inhabitants." He says, punching him in the face, launching the warlord twenty feet away. "Two!" he continues warping again and slamming his elbow into the being's stomach. "You attacked me and took me prisoner, in clear defiance of the Treaty!" he warps again, picking the alien up by the back of the neck. "Three! You not only committed these unpardonable acts, but you also kidnapped my Sister, with the intent to enslave her on your planet! For these crimes, I hereby condemn you! Face your Judgment!" he roars bestially, lightning cracking in the sky above. He then punches the Gordanian in the kidney repeatedly, fury etched into his face, rage fueling his fists. He then warps back to the front of the tyrant and slams Tro-Garr on the floor, summoning white fire to his hands. "Feel my wrath, the wrath of WAR!" he roars, smashing the flames into the alien's chest, the flames covering and bleeding into the wretch.

"AAAAAAAaaaaahhhhhhh!" Tro-Garr screams in agony, Warfire walking away.

"Judgment complete." He says quietly, a calm expression on his face.

The other Gordanians, meanwhile, kneel down in fear, while the heroes look on in horror, especially Starfire.

"Brother… Why?"

"It is my duty as Arbiter of Tamaran to mete out punishment to those who commit the greatest crimes. And to me, no crime is greater than hurting my family. He's lucky I didn't kill him." He says, looking to the sky. _"Mother… Father… Forgive me. Forgive me for not being stronger. For breaking my oath… I fear, however, that I will do this many times to come…."_ He thinks solemnly, before passing out on the floor.

"Warfire!" Raven and Starfire shout, running towards him.

 _The Next Week…._

"We made a good team, didn't we?" Beast Boy asks, the group standing on the shore of the island that the Gordanians landed on.

"Yeah, we did. Listen, Cyborg and I came up with a little something for you guys in case we need to keep in contact." Robin says, handing out little yellow communicators to the three teens currently in front of him.

"Where's Warfire?" Raven asks, noticing that he is absent.

"Oh, he is currently meditating to clear his mind of turmoil. It is best if we leave him alone for now, friend Raven." Starfire answers.

"Is he going to be okay?" Robin asks.

"There is a price for using the power of the Arbiter. When one Judges another being, both the Condemned's crimes and the Arbiter's are brought to bear against him. That is his curse, and his duty. He has used this power four times before, and he has hated every time he had to do so. All that can be done for him is to wait."

"Dude, that sucks! How did he become Arbiter, anyways?" Beast Boy asks.

"He was born the Arbiter. It is not so much a title, as it is a definition of his very being. This is why many on Tamaran feared him." She replies, sadness evident in her expression.

"Hey, don't worry about me. It's worth being a monster to protect my sisters and friends. By the way, does anybody know where I can stay? I hate travelling a lot." Warfire asks, bags under his eyes and sweat on his brow.

"We could make a place here. The view is nice, after all." Robin suggests, looking at him in worry.

"Ok. And does anybody have money? I need clothes, in case you haven't noticed." He says, glancing at his rags and missing pants.

"Come with me, Warfire. I'll take you clothes shopping." Robin says, pulling out a wallet with a bunch of money in it.

"Thanks. So, what should we call ourselves?"

"Perhaps the Youths of Justice?" Starfire says.

"No, I was thinking the Teen Titans. Much catchier." Robin suggests, a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, I agree. Does anybody have any objections?" Warfire smiles, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"Uh, dude? Where did you get that sandwich?" Beast Boy asks.

"No idea. Want some?" he replies, holding out another one that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"That is just weird. But sure, why not?" Beast Boy says, reaching out and grabbing it.

"Yeah, eat it nice and slowly. Yes, just like that…" Warfire says creepily, causing Beast Boy to choke on the piece of sandwich he was chewing, before laughing his butt off. "Hahahaha! Your face! Priceless! But seriously, eat up. I'm going to go get some clothes. Robin, you coming?" he asks, reaching his hand out, while the group, minus Beast Boy, laughs raucously.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1- The Hive Attacks!**

 _ **Disclaimer! I Own Nothing!**_

"Dun dun… dun dun… dundundudundudun!" a certain white-haired alien sings, holding a slice of pizza and sneaking up behind a green changeling.

"Dude, quit that! It's not funny anymore!"

"Awww, and here I thought Jaws was hilarious…. Meanie-Greenie!" Warfire pouts childishly, causing the others to laugh. The group is eating at a pizza place on the top balcony, taking the day off to relax.

"Brother, what is this Jaws you speak of?" Starfire asks, confused.

"Think Mo'van the Sea Beast, and you'll get the gist."

"Ah. Thank you, brother. I envy you. Sometimes I think I will never fully comprehend Earth culture."

"No worries. Just take your time, and it will come. Just think of it as a field trip, Star."

"Thank you, Warfire. Your advice is most comforting."

"Is he alright, Star? Warfire is never this… normal." Robin asks, uneasy.

"Oh, don't worry. I just was eating some funny tasting brownies that this dirty old guy offered me as a reward for saving his friends from their burning van, earlier. Now, I feel just…fine." Warfire replies, a dreamy look on his face.

"What did the van look like?" Beast Boy asks.

"It was brightly colored, and had a lot of funny plants inside. For some reason it was smoking in there, and they didn't want to get out."

"Uh, Warfire? Those weren't regular brownies…. In fact, they're illegal in this state."

"What? What type of brownies are they?"

"We'll explain later, Starfire." Cyborg says, brushing off the question for the moment.

"I see. I hope he gets better."

"He will, but in the meantime, he's going to be veeeery hungry." Raven says, stifling a laugh.

"Aaand there it goes. Where am I? Ooooh, pizza!" Warfire says after a second.

 **"** **Booom!"** a large explosion sounds nearby, the teens turning their heads towards the sound.

"Sounds like anarchy. Is it 3 0'clock already?" an elderly British voice asks, the teens turning back to their table, only to see Warfire in an old night robe smoking from an old fashioned pipe and reading Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

"Dude, where did- You know what? Never mind. What was that?" Beast Boy asks the others, before an explosion occurs across the street, the charred remains of a bus flying in the air towards an abandoned stroller.

"Damn it. Titans, go!" Robin shouts.

"Very well, old chap. Let me get my waist coat on and my walking stick. Never leave home without it, you know." Warfire says, putting pieces of food in his pockets, while the others rush forwards. He then floats lazily towards a suspicious looking hulk of a teen, landing behind him.

"Excuse me, old chap, could you point me in the direction of the nearest hospital? Someone is dangerously wounded." He asks the figure in a posh British accent.

"Sure, it's just down that- wait…" the teen turns around, noticing the Titan behind him. "You! Jinx, we got ourselves a stray!"

"Rubbish! I'll have you know that I am completely domesticated and house-trained. Why I never, in all my years. Why, I ought to tan your backside. Back in my day…" Warfire rants, eventually ending in angry muttering and grumbling.

"What are- are you making fun of me?"

"No, actually. I won best groomed three years straight. Here are my ribbons, trophies, and awards. My papers are in order, too, I assure you." He says, handing the brutish person item after item until he is completely buried under them, while a pint-sized teen and a pink-haired female look on, nonplussed at the scene.

"Dammit, nobody makes fun of Mammoth!" the gorilla-ish boy shouts, bursting out from underneath the pile, and grabbing the alien wonder.

"Get your filthy paws off me, you damn, dirty ape!" Warfire references, head butting the boy, stunning him.

"Did he just make a Planet of the Apes reference about Mammoth? And did he just head-butt him?" the tiny criminal asks, confused.

"Well, we were warned that this one is extremely unhinged and dangerous, Gizmo. I think we should do something about that." The pinkish one says, grinning.

"I agree. Mind telling me what you guys did to my friends?" Warfire asks ominously, the duo stiffening in surprise.

"We destroyed them. And you're next!" Jinx shouts, regaining her composure.

""Not Likely." He says, his voice chilling them to the core.

"Oh yeah? You're luck is about to run out!" Jinx shouts, sending out a blast of pink energy.

"Did you get him?" Mammoth asks, the trio looking at the dust cloud.

"Yeah, I think I did. Nobody could survive getting a blast like that to the face." Jinx says confidently, before the group hears a cold chuckle drifting towards them.

"Is that it? That didn't even tickle. Now, let me show you a real attack. Watch closely… You don't want to miss it." He says, walking slowly towards them.

"Wh-what are you?" Jinx asks fearfully, the three of them feeling colder with every second.

"Trust me, you don't want to know. Now, who sent you? I will ask you only once. If I don't hear the truth, I have no problem killing. And believe me, I will know when you are lying." He says, smiling slightly, as if relishing the thought.

"W-we were sent by the Hive academy, under orders of some mysterious guy named Slade." Mammoth stutters.

"good boy. Now, run along. Go continue your mission. My friends will be near shortly." He replies, walking away.

"We got off lucky, didn't we?" Mammoth asked anxiously.

"What do you mean?"

"He wasn't the same guy we were warned about. No… He was something else. My instincts were screaming, saying 'Run away! Monster! Demon! Predator!'. He was the kind of guy who would have no problems destroying this whole city just to hunt us down for fun. Something about that smile made me feel like a rabbit in front of a dragon…. And I think he wanted us to try his patience, or something.…"Mammoth replies, shaking.

"That's the longest speech I've ever heard you give. He was something else, though…. He could be like us, though, if he wanted to. Maybe he still can." Jinx says, the last part to herself.

"Jinx, what's with that blush? Wait- you totally got the hots for him!" Gizmo accuses.

"Do not! He's totally just a guy who could be a potential ally, that's all!"

"Liar! Admit it, you totally got turned on by fear!"

"No I- you know what, so what if he's totally hot! It's not any of your business if he has that total sexual titan vibe going for him! Nor does it matter if I just wanna drag my nails over his… I mean, shut up!" Jinx shouts, blushing deeper with each second.

"I heard that! And I'm flattered!" Warfire's voice floats back, the two boys laughing at her expense, while she just wants to die at the moment due to her embarrassment.

"Let's just go to their tower. They're probably not coming back for a while."

"Yeah, yeah. Pervert." Mammoth snickers.

Meanwhile, with a certain Tamaranian lunatic…

"Hmm, I wonder who this Slade character is… Sounds like he could be trouble. Hopefully he doesn't make a certain songbird go emo. But I can't help but feel as if I forgot something…." He says to himself, a thought bubble with three dots inside appearing over his head somehow, before he reaches up and grabs it, playing on it like an ocarina. "Wait! I just remembered! I totally left the oven on! Wait, no, that's not it…. Did I have to do something just now?"

"Might I be of assistance?" a smooth voice asks, interrupting his train of thought.

"Not now, bad guy Numero Tres. I'm trying to remember something. If you have any complaints, please take a form and fill it out, then drop it in the box." Warfire says, turning to a figure in a black and orange mask showing only one eye.

"Hmmm, I see you are as strange and dangerous as I was led to believe. How do you know I'm one of your enemies? And why number three?"

"Because I only count number two as one enemy, and not individuals, and the first is waaaay above your pay grade."

"Might I ask who my competition is?"

"Sure thing, Slade. First is basically a demon-god-thing named Trigon, who is hell-bent, pardon the pun, on consuming/conquering the entire universe, and number two is called the Masters of Doom, I believe. Of course, you are extremely dangerous, in your own right, but you are too narrow-minded. Stop focusing on just the Tri-State Area, Dr. Doofenschmirtz. Actually, it's probably better you don't, because then you will have even more chances of failure, then you get thwarted, and you lose your self-esteem, and afterwards you have to see a shrink, and when his bills get too expensive, you have to move in with your mom, and it just turns into a whole thing, you know? But hey, you're still a bigger threat than Brother Blood." he rambles, a deadpan expression somehow conveyed despite Slade's mask.

"This conversation has been… Interesting. I will take my leave, now. Of course, you are welcome to try and stop me." He says, backing into the shadows.

"Nah. Not my place to do it. That's the Glorious Leader, Kim Jong-Dick's job."

"I don't know how to react around you. Nobody is able to catch me off-guard like this so easily…. This is very interesting, indeed. I look forward to further interactions, Warfire. I'll keep in touch."

"Ok, Pink Floyd. Get it? Dark side of the- you know what, never mind. Bye!" he says, continuing to play on his ocarina, the tune sounding suspiciously like Stairway to Heaven.

"Now, what did I- oh, NOW I remember. I'm-a comin' Robin!" he shouts, discarding the thought-bubble.

A few moments later, he arrives at the Tower, where a few explosions are occurring throughout the entire building.

"Hey, where've you been? We got our butts handed to us earlier!" Cyborg shouts, the team fighting the Hive teens.

"Oh, gathering info. Besides, you wouldn't want me to bogart your bad guys, now would you? I felt that you guys needed to do this on your own. If I was here, you wouldn't have a chance to do anything." Warfire says, the others getting slightly incensed, minus Starfire.

"Still, you could have helped." Robin says.

"I could have, but then you wouldn't have gotten more coordinated as a team through hardship. Sorry for being too leet. People still say that, right?"

"Some do. Now, would you mind helping?" BB says, slightly annoyed.

"Sure. Don't say I don't get you anything for your birthdays." He says, catching a punch from Mammoth before tossing the teen across the room. "Sorry for making you feel bad." He continues, shooting a white energy blast at Gizmo's backpack, blowing it to pieces and deflecting a return blast from Jinx. Then, he warps to her and grabs her leg, spinning her around and throwing her out of the building, knocking the tiny one outside as well.

"Wha- what happened?" Mammoth says dizzily, standing up shakily.

"What happened was you got pwned, mate. Git rekt, bruv. Now, Git oot of mah hoose, ya bloody wanka!"" Warfire says, picking him up and punting him out with his friends. "Raven, can you stop by my room later? I need to talk to you about something." He says nervously, turning to her and then walking away.

A while later, Warfire gets a knock on his bedroom door, and opens it to see Raven.

"What do you want, Mister I-can't-help-being-insanely-strong?" Raven asks irritably.

"Raven, would you mind doing me a favor? I'm asking you because only you can help." Warfire says.

"Depends. What's the favor?" she asks cautiously.

"I need you to use your magic to seal away a majority of my powers. I need to challenge myself more, while helping you guys at the same time. I just don't feel like an actual part of the team, to be honest. And, I think my sister's worried about me… She's probably afraid I might get too drunk on my power, and she's right to be. A lot of Arbiters have gone mad with their powers, and ended up destroying everything they came across until they were put down. And if worst comes to worst, I don't want my sister to be forced to do so. I'd rather you did." He says uncomfortably.

"Why do you say that? I mean, I get not wanting your sister to go through that, but why me?" she asks in shock and confusion.

"Because you know what it's like to have a terrible fate awaiting you, with nothing you can do about it. You're the only one I can trust to do this with total understanding of what the alternatives are, since my family can't be allowed to do this. Please, I'm asking you as a friend. If I turn, if I become that which I fight against, will you do what needs to be done?" he pleads earnestly, fear and anxiety on his face.

"I- yes. I will. Now let me do some research on what I have to do in order to seal up everything. I'll be back later. And… Thanks for confiding in me. It means a lot. Nobody's ever felt comfortable with me to the point of telling me these types of things, let alone trusted me. In return, will you do the same for me?" she asks with a slight blush.

"Of course, Raven. You need only say the word." He replies, reaching out for a hug cautiously, which Raven hesitantly returns. The two soon release each other, and Raven leaves with a small smile on her face.


	3. Chapter 3

Teen Titans: Fear And Loathing In Jump City

By: Jaq O Diamonds

Chapter 2- Prom?! Seriously?!

"Aaaah!" Warfire squeals girlishly, the others rushing towards his room.

"What's wrong? Are we being attacked?" Robin orders, the group preparing to attack.

"Kill it! Get the spider and make it dead! Eeeek!" Warfire continues, hanging from the ceiling fan.

"Uh, dude? It's just a spider. Nothing to worry about." Beast boy says, the rest of the team relaxing.

"Seriously, man? You're like the scariest dud I know, and you're scared of spiders?" Cyborg says, walking into his room.

"Don't just stand there! Kill it! Squash it, blast it, burn it with fire! Just destroy the filthy thing!"

"Fine, alright. Here, look, I'm squashing it with my boot, see?" Cyborg sighs, walking up and stomping on it, then Raven disappears it with her magic.

"There, there, brother. The Spider is the gone, now. It can't do the hurting towards you anymore. Shhh… It is the all right." Starfire soothes him, calming his nerves.

"Dude, Cy. You thinking what I'm thinking?" Beast Boy whispers to his best friend with a mischievous grin.

"Yeah, I am, and the answer is no. Don't even try it. Do you remember what happened last time you did something like that? I had to spend the next two months straight rebuilding the tower! You're lucky he didn't do anything else to you." Cyborg replies. All of a sudden, the alarm is blaring, and the team rushes to the monitor, only to see a man with a spider for a head stealing things from jewelry stores

"Nope. Fuck that. You guys go if you want. I'm staying here." Warfire says after taking one look at the thief.

"Okay, then Warfire will hold down the fort. The rest of us will catch this guy. Titans, go!" Robins says, the group rushing out.

A couple hours later, Robin and Starfire return to the tower, with the former paralyzed.

"How was it? You guys catch that monstrosity?"

"No, brother. Unfortunately the spider man got away. The others are still looking for him, though." Starfire replies, stretching Robin in various ways, relieving the paralysis little by little.

Suddenly, the communicators beep, and Robin answers, having gotten use of his arms back.

"What is it, did you find the thief?" he asks.

"No, but we have bigger problems."

A while later, Robin is about to head out and help, when the monitor turns on, showing a humanoid moth person.

"Hello, Titans. I see you met my children. Very impressive, wouldn't you say? That's just a taste of what's to come. If you don't wish to see the entire city destroyed, you will do what I say."

"What do you want, Mothball?" Warfire asks.

"My demands are simple. The city will declare me ruler, the titans will surrender, and Warfire will… take this lovely young lady to her junior prom." The man says, the camera shifting towards a blonde-haired teen.

"Hello, Cutie-Fire."

"Hahahahaha… wait, what? Are you serious? Really?" Warfire laughs, then realizes the guy isn't joking.

"I'm deadly serious. You, Warfire will take Kitten to Prom!" The man replies.

"Wha?" Cyborg asks in shock over the communicator.

"Uh, Warfire? What is going on?" Raven asks irritably.

"I honestly don't know. I don't even have a witty response to this." He answers.

"This prom is some sort of duel, yes? Then my brother eagerly accepts!" Starfire shouts.

"Dude! This is hilarious! Seriously! Hahahahaha!" Beast Boy laughs uproariously.

"Uh, Star? It's not a duel. It's a date." Robin says.

"What? My brother does not accept! You hear me? Warfire does not accept!" Starfire gasps in shock.

"I mean, do I have any choice, sister? If you guys have any brilliant ideas on getting me out of this, then by all means, speak up." Warfire says in frustration.

"Warfire, are you sure about this?" Raven asks.

"I don't have a choice. Fine, Mothball. You win. I guess I will take her out on a date. But I will take her back at 9:30, and no later. Clear? If not, then there won't be a city left for your buddies to eat."

"Agreed. I'm glad we could come to an agreement. You will have to ask her, though."

"Seriously? You are trying my patience, old man. And trust me, you do not wish to do that…."

"Oooh, that's hot. Come on, sweetie. You have to be a gentleman." Kitten says seductively.

Warfire takes a deep breath to calm himself before he goes on a rampage, before speaking. "Kitten, would you like to go to the prom with me?"

"Oh, sweetie, I thought you'd never ask! Be there in a suit!"

"Fine. If this is all it takes to protect this city, I will do so. Good bye." He says, blasting the monitor.

"Are you okay, brother?" Starfire asks.

"Not right now, sister. I need to blow off some steam. A lot of steam. In the meantime, Robin, could you get me a suit? Gotta look good for my execution." He asks tersely.

"Of course, Warfire. Anything you need. Come on, Starfire. Let's get going. We've got a lot of work to do."

An hour later, with the team….

"Warfire…" Raven whispers anxiously.

"Is something wrong, friend Raven?" Starfire asks curiously.

"Starfire, I need to talk to you in private later. It's… girl stuff."

"Friend Raven, oh how I have dreamt of this day! I thought we would never have the talking of the girl stuff!"

"Yeah, well, neither did I."

A day later….

"Fuck me sideways. Why is it always me? What god or gods have I pissed off enough to warrant this torture?" Warfire asks the air in his secret training area, a cave beneath the island.

"I do not know, brother. Although there was that one time you bedded the daughter of the Sky Mother of Zenthak 6. Maybe that is why?" Starfire suggests, walking in.

"Hey, that's just a rumor! You know that I would have better sense than to smex up a daughter of a Destroyer-class goddess! Seriously, why does everyone think I did that?"

"Perhaps it is because of your reputation for… irrationality?" she replies cautiously.

"Oh come on, that's not fair! Just because I'm crazy doesn't mean I'm stupid!"

"That is a fair point, brother. Do you wish to do the talking with me?"

"Not right now. Maybe later. After all this dickery is over with."

"Alright then, brother. If you need to do the talking about it, I am the here."

"Thanks, sister. I appreciate that more than you will ever know." Warfire replies quietly after she's gone.

"Hey, dude! Me and the other guys are going shopping for casual clothes! Wanna come with? We can go get you fitted for a suit, while we're at it!" Beast Boy shouts, getting Warfire's attention.

"Sure. Maybe we can also get some musical instruments and stuff while we're at it?"

"Of course! Anything for your first date, dude!" he replies.

That Night….

Warfire is waiting outside of a boat where the prom is being held, wearing a white suit and grey tie, with his white hair cut short and spiky, and a pair of silver shades over his eyes.

"So, you ready for this, Warfire?" Robin asks over the communicator.

"Yeah, of course. Just standing here getting a few suggestive glances sent in my direction from random girls for some reason, even though their dates are standing right there." He replies, raising his voice just enough to catch the guys' attention. "How's the search going on your end?"

"We found his secret lab and a buttload of moths. So it's going great." Cyborg replies.

"Is that in metric, or standard?"

"I'd say metric."

"Damn. Well be careful, alright?"

"Sure thing, man. You, too." Robin replies, cutting off the conversation.

"Wow, Warfire. You really know how to clean up. How are you holding up?" an unexpected voice says from behind him, which he recognizes immediately.

"Raven? What are you- wow. You look amazing. Never thought I'd see you in a dress. Why are you here?" Warfire says, shocked.

"I just thought I'd be here in case you need back-up. Is that alright?" she asks, dressed in a midnight-blue dress with starry bits here and there, and a pair of dark blue high-heels.

"Oh- uh, yeah. I mean, of course. You look stunning. If only I didn't already have a forced date thrust upon me. And speak of the devil. Here she comes. The most dangerous creature on the planet, a hormonal, manipulative teenaged daddy's girl whose father is rich and doesn't know how to discipline his own child. I'm gonna have me a right slobber-knocker right there." He says in a perfect Australian accent, causing Raven to snort in amusement.

"Oh, Cutie-fire, how I've been looking forward to this date. You really cleaned up nicely. Don't I look amazing?" Kitten asks obnoxiously loud, grabbing onto him and rubbing her body over his.

"You look… good. Now, how long is this going to take? I need to get home and water my bonsai. And no, that's not code for something." Warfire says, while signaling Raven to listen to his thoughts. _'So she had the device. Good thing I know how to pickpocket. Now I've got it. Now how about I play along? I really need to have some fun with this. My vengeance is nigh! Muahahahaha!'_

 _"So that's what he's planning. Well, at least he's not happy about his date. Although I do hope he doesn't go too far with it."_ Raven thinks to herself.

"Oh, you can't rush this. We're going to take things nice and slooow…. I wanna dance. Ask me."

"Oh, fairest Kitten, would you do me the honor of gracing this pitiful dance floor with your beauty and grace?" he replies with the acting ability of Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic.

"Oh, you are charming. Of course I will." Kitten answers, not realizing it's just an act. Raven, meanwhile, is trying not to laugh at the absurdity.

"Un momento, my dearest. I must ask the disc jockey to play a fitting song." He says, a fake smile on his face. He soon returns, and the music begins to play.

 ** _(A.N.: Listen to Night Begins To Shine by B.E.R.)_**

 _I saw you dance_

 _From the corner_

 _I caught your name_

 _In a conversation_

 _Playing hard-to-get_

 _But I can understand_

 _When I look at you_

 _I see the story in your eyes_

 _When we're dancing_

 _The Night Begins to Shine_

 _Night Begins to Shine_

 _The Night Begins to Shine_

 _Night Begins to Shine_

 _When we're dancing_

 _The Night Begins to Shine_

 _Talk 'til dawn_

 _My heart was racing_

 _I took you home_

 _In the driving rain_

 _Had my mind made up_

 _I wanna feel your touch_

 _When I look at you_

 _I see the story in your eyes_

 _When we're dancing_

 _The Night Begins to Shine_

 _The Night Begins to Shine_

 _The Night Begins to Shine_

 _The Night Begins to Shine_

 _When we're dancing_

 _The Night Begins to Shine_

 _The Night Begins to Shine_

 _(Night Begins to Shine)_

 _The Night Begins to Shiiiiiine_

 _Had my mind made up_

 _I wanna feel your touch_

 _When I look at you_

 _I see the story in your eyes_

 _When we're dancing_

 _The Night Begins to Shine_

 _Night Begins to Shine_

 _The Night Begins to Shine_

 _Night Begins to Shine_

 _The Night Begins to Shine_

 _Night Begins to Shine_

 _The Night Begins to Shine_

 _The Night Begins to Shine_

 _When we're dancing_

 _The Night Begins to Shine_

 _Night Begins to Shine_

 _The Night Begins to Shine_

 _(The Night Begins to Shine)_

 _Night Begins to Shine_

 _The Night Begins to Shine_

 _(The Night Begins to Shine)_

While the music is playing, Warfire dances with unexpected talent, switching between tango, salsa, flamenco, and breakdancing with every verse, to the point where the girl can hardly keep up, stumbling over various parts. Once the song ends, he bows, and the rest of the prom goers applaud loudly, including Raven.

"Wow, you're really good at this, Warry-poo. You're a keeper." Kitten says flirtily.

"You are too kind, dear. I could barely keep up with you. Shall we get some refreshments?" he replies.

"How about we skip to the kiss?"

"But I could never bear to ruin your virtue with my uncultured mouth…. Why do I smell spiders?" he says, his face drained of color.

"That's because I'm here to get back my girl, asshole." A voice says, causing Warfire to turn around and lose all emotion save fear and panic, at the sight of the young man with a spider for a head.

"Oh, Fang! I knew you'd come back!"

"So, let me get this straight. You, a spider person, are her ex-boyfriend, which she undoubtedly kissed quite a bit. You two broke up for some reason or another, and so she was trying to make you jealous by forcing me to take her to the prom. You, on the other hand, were robbing jewelry stores in order to get something to win her back with. She tried to kiss me, with said spider-kissing mouth, and now I'm about to burn everything down in a panic-induced frenzy in order to kill all spiders in a twenty-mile radius. Is that about it, Raven?" he says with a strange amount of calm, making everyone around really nervous.

"You can't do that, or else I'll release daddy's moths!"

"With this?" Warfire asks, pulling out the remote control and crushing it in his hand.

"What- how did you get that?"

"When you were sexually assaulting me I pick-pocketed it from your purse. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to destroy the abominations known as spiders. Aaaaaaahhhh!" he screams, white fire bursting out of his body and launching at everything arachnid and semi-arachnid, causing Fang to scream in pain and Kitten to scream in horror.

"Warfire, calm down! Don't kill him! He may have a giant spider for a head, but he's still human! Stop it!" Raven pleads, trying to get through to him. Eventually, the fire on the young man dies down, leaving a normal headed teen lying unconscious. "What?"

"Wha- where am I? Kitten, is that you?"

"Fang? What happened to you? Why is your head normal again?"

"I don't know. Last thing I remember is going down into your dad's lab and being shot by something weird. What happened?"

"Wait, so, you went down into daddy's basement? He must have… no, he couldn't have. Why would he do that?"

"Who are these guys?" Fang asks, noticing Warfire and Raven.

"These are the two of the Teen Titans, Raven and Warfire. It's kind of a long story. Thanks, Warfire, for changing him back to normal. I'm sorry for forcing you to come here for all this."

"No problem. Next time, though, try to get someone who's less unstable when afraid. Less people get hurt that way." Warfire says shakily, still calming down from his episode. Raven, meanwhile, is holding onto him with a worried look in her eyes.

"And now that all that's over, here are your prom king and queen, Warfire and Raven!" the announcer shouts, the rest of the crowd clapping and cheering.

"Well, Warfire. You want to dance?" Raven asks sheepishly, which cheers him right up.

"Of course. Nobody I'd rather dance with. And if you want, we can just do a slow dance. Take it one step at a time, maybe?"

"Sure thing, twinkle-toes. I never knew you were such a great dancer." She replies with a small smile and blush.

"It's all in the hips. Trust me, I've been dancing for almost my whole life."

The two then go to the center of the dance floor, floating just above the deck, and dance the night away….


	4. Chapter 4

**Teen Titans: Fear and Loathing in Jump City**

 **By: Jaq O Diamonds**

 **Chapter 3- Identity Crisis**

 _ **Author's Note: I did some slight editing for this chapter, because some parts I felt weren't really clear, and others were too suddenly introduced. Others were more repetitive, to be honest. Anyways, read and review, if you want.**_

"So, why is this guy robbing banks, again? I mean, with weapons shooting light and shit, he could have chosen to do anything. Make limitless energy sources, be a carnie, do a show at the planetarium while Pink Floyd music plays. Literally anything. And he chose to rob banks. How cliché. Not like hundreds, if not thousands, have done it before in the States alone. Seriously, what's next, light puns?" Warfire complains, the group getting blasted by said light-wielding criminal.

"Let me shed some light on your conundrum, Warfire." He says smugly, shooting a blast at him.

"Ugh." He groans in exasperation, rubbing his forehead. "Please don't. It's not even a good pun, man. Seriously, if you're going to do wordplay, at least be good at it. Don't go for the easy stuff. I mean, have you not even read the book? I have a spare if you need it."

Warfire then pulls out a book that says "The guidebook to making puns, and the theoretical and practical uses for them, By Zuuland'r."

"Wait, you actually wrote a book about the science of puns? Dude, why didn't you tell me! I would have bought a copy!" Beast Boy shouts, while the rest of the group looks at him, nonplussed.

"Well, because you would have abused it. We all know how you are. Besides, you know you don't read." He states blandly, getting nods of agreement from everyone, including Doctor Light.

"Yeah, that's a fair point. But can we please get back to the fighting?" Robin says, getting a blast of light in return.

"Don't make light of the situation!" the villain shouts.

"Wow, you are positively beaming, man!" Warfire yells back.

"That was pretty good, Warfire. But now I'm going to show you the light!" he says, blasting Warfire through a window.

"Stop saying light, Ray! There are other puns to make, you know!" his voice trails back.

"Ray? Oh, I get it, it's because he uses light!" Beast Boy laughs, before getting shot.

The group then gets blasted one-by-one, until Raven attempts to stop him. She gets repeatedly shot, Doctor Light making puns the entire time.

"Stop it. I'm warning you." She grunts.

"What's the matter, afraid of the light?" he says smugly, when all of a sudden, Raven's two eyes turn into four crimson ones, and a sadistic smile sits upon her face. She then seems to grow, tentacles of shadow reaching out and grabbing him, pulling him into her robes, while the others, aside from Warfire, are trying to stop her. Meanwhile, he is just watching.

 _"_ _I've seen enough hentai to know where this is going."_ He thinks to himself, wincing at some repressed memories.

"Come on, doctor. What's the matter? Afraid of the dark?"She asks insanely, before snapping out of her madness. She then releases the doctor, who is shivering in fear, muttering about darkness.

"Dude. What did you do to him?" Beast Boy asks tentatively.

"I don't want to talk about it." She says, brushing off his question and flying away.

"Come on, Raven!" Beast Boy tries to say, but Warfire hushes him.

"I'll talk to her. In the meantime, don't push for answers. Alright?" he says firmly.

"Yeah. We'll trust you on this. Just be careful with her. We've never seen her like this." Robin warns.

"Understood. But I wouldn't worry too much. It's just a personal problem, I believe." He replies, going after her.

Soon, he catches up to her, and sits down next to her atop a mountain a few miles away from Jump City.

"So. You're here to find out what happened, I assume?" she asks irritably.

"No. Just thought I'd join you for some star-gazing. I don't need to ask, if you don't want to talk about it. By the way, I brought some churros from a guy I know who runs a food truck. Nice guy. Has a family. Wants his daughter to go to college. Always likes it when I buy food. Always trying to give it to me for free. Saved his wife and kid from a burning building a few weeks ago. Anyway, you want some? They're the best churros in Jump." He offers, holding out a bag of said food.

"Thanks. I was a little bit hungry, to be honest. You're a good friend, you know that?" she replies with a sad smile.

"Yeah, I guess…. I try to be, anyways. Honestly, you're the best friend I've had since… never mind."

"What is it? Since who?" she asks, curious.

"Nothing. It's in the past. How's your churro?" he inquires, brushing off her question.

"It's actually the best I've ever had. What's that guy's name?"

"Oh, it's Hector. I should introduce you sometime. He'd love to have you stop by." He smiles.

"That'd be nice…. What happened to your last friendship?" she asks after a while.

"Let's just say that she is in a better place and leave it at that."

"Ok. Just curious, is all. I'm just saying, you know everything about me, and yet I know next to nothing about you. Hopefully one of these days you'll feel comfortable talking to me about these things." She replies cautiously.

"Yeah. Someday. For now, though, I just want to forget everything. Like that one cosmic horror thing that had a tentacle problem. And by that I mean it wouldn't keep its tentacles to itself. Fucking Shaggoth. But now I'm repressing that. How are things lately?" he says hurriedly, nervousness and fear on his face.

"Did- did you get raped by an Old One?" she asks, shocked.

"Never. Happened. Got it?" he replies firmly.

"Oh, ok. You are one strange person, Warfire. You know that?"

"Yep. But that's why you like me. And for some reason, my fangirls like it too."

"Wait, what do you mean, 'Fangirls'? And 'like'? You are assuming way too much. As if I would ever be interested in you." She says with a blush.

"Oh? That's a shame. And here I was going to ask you out sometime. I thought we had something. Well, that's ok. At least I've got my good looks, heh. Well, I hope you feel a little better, now. As for myself, I got to meet up with some friends for band practice." He responds jokingly, getting up to leave.

"Band practice? Since when are you in a band?"

"A few weeks ago. I was singing a song, these cool guys heard me. Offered me the lead singer position. But like I said, I gotta go. See you later, Rae." He says, flying away.

"Wait. Did he say he was going to ask me out? Shit! What is wrong with me? I had ample opportunity to ask him out, and I blew it. Now he'll ask someone else. Today just can't get any worse, can it?" she thinks to herself, blushing angrily. Suddenly, it starts raining severely, drenching her in water. "Me and my big mouth. Azerath Metrion Zinthos." She says, a shield of dark energy appearing over her head like an umbrella. She then teleports back to the tower.

Meanwhile, Warfire is arriving at his destination, an abandoned quarry, and heads inside a mine at the bottom. Soon, he gets to a chamber where he has hidden a bunch of handmade training equipment. "Well, that went about as well as expected. Maybe I was wrong about her feelings. Welp, only one thing to do now. Beat the shit out of some training dummies. Yay for pent-up aggression!" he shouts half-heartedly, then proceeding to beat on a steel dummy he made. After a few hours of this, he collapses on the ground, breathing heavily and bleeding from his knuckles profusely, covered in sweat. "Why do I get myself into these things? What made me think I could just express any feelings for her, and that she would feel the same way? She hates feeling anything! Why am I so stupid? And why does my head hurt so much?" he thinks to himself, pain shooting through his brain. eventually, it gets to the point where he blacks out, and he drifts into unconsciousness.

The Next Day, he wakes up from his collapse, and heads back to the tower, eventually going to his room and locking the door. While he is in there, he decides to play some music on his tipod music player, which he had Cyborg build for him. "Sina, play Come Clarity." He says to it, receiving a beep of acknowledgement.

 ** _(A/N: Listen to World of Confusion by TOXICROSE)_**

 _"Our new lives have come to change our minds  
That the darkness she embrace beneath  
but she hides the pain  
Another life he's gone and darn it's time  
In front of a sharing crowd, she took her life._

 _Can you hear me?  
Can you see me?  
Lost in a world of sorrow  
World of confusion._

 _Won't you heal me?  
Why can't you feel me?  
Lost in a world of sorrow  
World of confusion._

 _Hearts of emptiness  
Hearts of sorrow.  
Is this the real world?  
A million friends that never cared.  
Hearts that fight back now  
You gotta pick up the pieces you've lost.  
Get up, stand up now  
Don't ever take the easy way out._

 _Feeling burning deep inside  
Learn to fly._

 _Can you hear me?  
Can you see me?  
Lost in a world of sorrow  
World of confusion._

 _Won't you heal me?  
Why can't you feel me?  
Lost in a world of sorrow  
World of confusion._

 _Feelings burning deep inside  
Learn to fly._

 _Can you hear me?  
Can you see me?  
Lost in a world of sorrow  
World of confusion._

 _Won't you heal me?  
Why can't you feel me?  
Lost in a world of sorrow  
World  
of confusion!  
World of confusion!"_

Suddenly, he receives a knock on his door, causing him to get up from his bed and unlock it.

"Hey, dude, where've you been? You didn't come back last night, so we were worried about you, since Raven was kind of upset when she came back. Anyways, we're just wondering what's wrong with Raven. Did she tell you anything?" Beast Boy asks, with Cyborg standing behind him looking anxious.

"Oh. No, she didn't. To be honest, I didn't ask. If she wanted to talk about it she would have already done so. Why is Cy looking like a tentacle monster sent him threats of eminent pain?"

"What? Tentacle monster? Never mind. We're going to go talk to Raven about what's bugging her, and Cy doesn't really want to go. Wanna come with?" Beast Boy replies cheerfully.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea. If you want to piss her off more, go ahead. But I want no part of it. Bye, guys. Good luck with your suicide mission. I'm going to be in my room, and I'm going to ask that you don't disturb me for the rest of the day. Got some stuff to deal with." He says, grasping his had, due to the headache returning.

"What's wrong, man? Did something happen?" Cyborg asks in confusion.

"Nothing that concerns you guys. Now, is that all?"

"Yeah, dude. Sorry for bugging you. By the way, there's coffee in the kitchen if you want some." Beast Boy says sympathetically.

"Thanks. Maybe later, though. Good day, guys." Warfire says, closing the door and locking it again. He then goes back to his bed, and lays down on it.

Meanwhile, Robin and Starfire go up to the roof, and see Raven meditating. Starfire, having seen her brother return, decided to go tell Raven about his arrival, while Robin is just following her.

"What is it, Star? I'm meditating right now."

"I just wanted to let you know that my brother has returned just a few minutes ago. I believe that you would like to know this, friend Raven." She says cheerfully, to which Raven just laughs uncharacteristically before stopping abruptly.

"I gotta go check on something. Thanks for the info." She replies, floating off to her room. Meanwhile, in Raven's mindscape, Beast Boy and Cyborg have just run into a form of Raven that is dressed in lavender, a love-struck look in her eyes, holding a framed photo. The entire area is covered in hearts, roses, and various other decorations that shout 'Valentine's Day'.

"Dude, what's the photo of? Edgar Allen Poe?" Beast Boy asks sarcastically.

"Actually, it's Warfire. He's just so dreamy. Don't you agree?" she replies with an accent that's a cross between French and British.

"Uh, no. And what's with your voice?" Cyborg says, confused.

"Oh, this is just how I talk. I just like Warfire so much, but I can't let him know. He likes me, too, but I feel like I ruined that last night. What have I done to my love!" she sobs.

"Ok, so that must be what he meant by having to deal with stuff. That actually makes sense, in a weird way. But I did not see that coming, to be honest. Who'd have thought that Warfire and Raven, two of the most emotionally distant people we know, would have feelings for each other?" Cyborg says.

"Actually, dude, it's pretty obvious once you think about it. I mean, they both have a history they don't like to talk about it, they both hate showing their feelings, and they both are inseparable. Although, Raven just hides her feelings. Warfire, though, just pretends to feel happy all the time, for some reason." Beast Boy says, showing a rare bit of intelligence.

"Ok, that makes sense. I'm not even going to ask how you know this stuff. But Raven, do you think you could show us the way out?"

"Of course. Just go through that door, and you should be on your way. Now, leave me to pine for my love." She says, tears going down her eyes.

"Uh, sure thing, Rae. Bye." Cyborg says, the duo leaving the room through a velvet-covered heart-shaped door and ending up back on the path.

Meanwhile, back with Warfire…

He is standing in the kitchen, getting a cup of coffee from the machine, when his sister pops up behind him unexpectedly.

"Brother, how are you doing on this glorious day?" she asks loudly, causing his headache to flare up.

"Star, can you keep it down? I don't feel well." He says, wincing in pain.

"Oh, I am sorry brother. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

"No. I just want some quiet. That's all."

"Hey, Warfire. How is everything?" Robin asks, walking towards the couch in the living room.

"It's about as good as can be expected. Now can I please get some peace and quiet? My head is killing me. Gah! The pain and the burning and such!" he grunts, grasping his head in agony and falling to his knees, dropping his coffee.

"Brother!" Star shouts, reaching for him in worry, only to be stopped by his hand. Meanwhile, Robin hears the commotion and rushes to them, worry written on his face.

"What's wrong, War? Star, What's happening to him?" Robin asks in confusion.

"I do not know! I have never seen him like this! Brother, what's wrong?!"

"I can't take it anymore! Sister, I… need… some…." He murmurs before losing consciousness.

"Star, we need to get him to the infirmary. Hurry. There's no time to lose." Robin says urgently, grabbing him by the armpits while she grabs his feet.

"Hey, guys, how about some… What happened!" Beast Boy shouts, followed by Cyborg and Raven.

"We have no ideas about what ails him! Please, we must get him to the infirmary!"

"Gotcha, guys. I'll prep the station for him. B.B., stay put and don't cause any trouble. Rae, I'm gonna need you to… Rae? Rae! Raven!" Cyborg shouts, seeing her frozen in shock, not paying attention to a word he's saying until he shouts the last time.

"Wha- What?" She asks numbly.

"I need you to use your powers to see if you can figure out what's wrong with him. Can I count on you to do that?"

"Y-Yes. Sorry." She mumbles, reaching for him.

A few hours later, Raven and Cyborg are in the medical bay, standing over Warfire's unconscious body, trying to heal him.

"So, Rae, you got any idea what's wrong with him?" He asks, scanning his vitals.

"I don't know… I just don't know." She replies, her voice cracking.

"Hey, it's gonna be alright. We just need to focus on finding out what's going on with him. Honestly, I think we might need a Tamaranian doctor to take a look at him. What do you think?"

"I don't know…. I don't even know if there's anything we can do. What if we can't heal him? What if he-!" she starts panicking, when Starfire slaps her across the cheek, having woken up from her rest in the medical ward.

"How dare you, Raven! How dare you have so little faith in him? You claim to have the fallen for him, yet you are so willing to give up? Maybe he was wrong about you. Maybe we all were. He never lost faith in you, even when you have given him the reason to." She shouts, tears flowing from her eyes.

"Star, I- I'm sorry. You're right. What I said was uncalled for." She says, hanging her head in shame.

"Hey, I don't want to interrupt, but maybe you two should take a look at this." Cyborg interjects, getting the two's attention.

"Wait, is this what I am thinking it is?" Starfire asks, confusion in her eyes.

"What is- So he's- dear gods… What have I done?"

"Raven, why is your magic killing him? Why is your magic even in his system at all?" Cyborg asks suspiciously.

"He said he was afraid of what he could do to us if he lost control…. He asked me to seal up his power, but I never thought this would happen…." She whispers fearfully.

"Raven, why did he feel the need to handicap himself? I mean, he's not that powerful, is he?" Cyborg says, dreading the answer.

"Yes, he is. And if he was that afraid of hurting us, he must have been more damaged than we previously thought. But why didn't he tell us?" Starfire says, distressed.

"Because he felt that if he ever became our enemy, he wanted me to take care of it. He didn't want you to worry, Star." She replies.

"Ok, this makes a lot more sense. But now that we know the problem, let's fix it, alright?"

"Y-yeah. I'll recall my energy from his body. Give me a moment." Raven says, focusing on the task at hand. As soon as she starts to pull, however, Warfire starts screaming uncontrollably.

"Friend Cyborg, we must hold him down!" Starfire shouts, grabbing his arm and pushing him back down onto the table. After what seems like hours of thrashing and screaming, he eventually relaxes, his breathing normalized once more.

"His vitals are stabilized. Breathing, heart rate, and brainwaves have gone back into the clear. Seems like all we can do now, is wait for him to wake up." Cyborg says, wiping some sweat from his brow.

"I agree. I hope he does the waking up soon. I have to do the stern talking with him. Thank you, friends."

"Anytime, Star. Who wants to take first watch?"

"I'll do it. It's my fault this happened. I should never have tried to do something like that." Raven says sullenly.

"Hey, now. *cough* *cough* Not your fault, Rae. I shouldn't have been so foolish as to try sealing away my power." A voice says, exhaustion in his words.

"Brother! How are you awake so soon? You need to do the resting!" Star shouts, reaching for him, but before she can, Raven jumps forward, hugging him tightly.

"Ah, gods damn it, Rae, that hurts! Who knew a non-Tamaranian could be so strong?" he jokes, wincing in pain.

"Don't you ever make me worry like that again! I thought you'd…" she cries, holding onto him.

"Hey, don't cry. You'd think I'd almost died, hehe." He chuckles, getting a slap on the cheek in return.

"It's not funny. You nearly did, and it was all my fault!"

"Actually, it was my fault. You didn't know what would happen, but I should have considered the possibilities. I'm sorry guys. I shouldn't have risked it." Warfire says solemnly.

"It is going to be the all right, brother. Next time, you should do the thinking before doing these things." Starfire replies, concern evident in her expression.

"I know, sister. I know. By the way, Rae, if you keep hugging me like this, I might get the idea that you actually do like me. Haha, not that that's likely. You made your feelings perfectly clear, yesterday." He says sardonically, a rueful smile on his face.

"I'm sorry, Warfire. I-."

"It's alright. I get it. It was just mixed signals. You aren't interested. And honestly, I'm ok with that. Whatever makes you happy, is all that matters." He says, getting up from the table and prying her off of him. He then flies out of the room, the others looking on.

"Do you wish to go after him, or should I do the following?" Starfire asks with a smile.

"No. We should just leave him alone. We both need time to think." Raven replies, sadly.

 _ **Next episode: We Don't Need No Education!**_


End file.
